


Turned Out Well

by Jeannie Peneaux (JeanniePeneaux)



Series: Tactful [2]
Category: Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-13
Updated: 2018-04-13
Packaged: 2019-04-22 07:45:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,079
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14304057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JeanniePeneaux/pseuds/Jeannie%20Peneaux
Summary: A brief account of Mrs Darcy's first ball.





	Turned Out Well

**Author's Note:**

> If you have not yet read 'Tact' you may wish to do so in order to avoid mild confusion. 
> 
> This is a little one-shot that is intended to springboard us into Kitty's short sequel (next weekend) and Lydia's longer sequel which I will start to post the weekend after. I am still writing Lydia's at the moment and I must admit I am having a corking time with it. 
> 
> This is, as ever, unbeta'd.

Fitzwilliam Darcy, amongst his equals in society, was well known for his reserved manners and entirely understandable hauteur. He was, after all, a wealthy man and was perfectly aware of his impeccable lineage. Generally speaking, he was held to be a good sort of fellow, if a little high in the instep and rather too attached to his sense of decorum to add much liveliness to a social gathering.

It had come largely as a surprise then, to find that such a man had wed an Unknown young lady from Hertfordshire some three months ago and was only now bringing the new Mrs. Darcy to London for the season.

Opinion was divided with regards to Mrs. Darcy. Those who had already met the lady allowed that her manners were quite unexceptional and the  _ gentlemen _ at least could comprehend that Mr. Darcy had clearly fallen for a pretty face. The fact that she had the evident support of both the Earl and his famously difficult to please sister, Lady Catherine De Bourgh, silenced most of those who might otherwise have considered her to be beneath their notice.

Mrs. Darcy also dressed well enough, the matrons decreed, although she was clearly not an ardent follower of what was fashionable one would be hard-pressed to find a cause for criticism in the elegance or quality of her dress.

The first ball that Mrs. Darcy gave at Darcy House won her considerable favour. Those select three hundred and fifty persons so honoured with an invitation praised her as much for her considerable charm as for the excellent dinner they had sat down to. No one was quite sure how or even why, but Mr. Brummell  _ himself _ had graced the evening with his presence and thus the event was thereafter considered to be a very great success.

Also present at the Ball were the remaining Miss Bennets of Longbourn and to the unvoiced surprise of their new brother, Miss Catherine Bennet was pronounced to be very acceptable company and to his outright astonishment, Miss Lydia looked quite set by the time she graced London with her come out- to become all the rage.

Despite her husbands' severity of opinion regarding the idle uselessness of Beau Brummell, Mrs. Darcy could not help but like him. She had been anticipating every ridiculous eccentricity of apparel that society had to offer in the form of one being. Instead, she had been presented to a neatly dressed, quietly spoken gentleman with nothing about him to invite mockery. Having heard tales of His Highness the Prince Regent and his excesses she was rather taken by surprise by the understated elegance of the man who famously set the latest fashions that Prinny followed so enthusiastically.

They had been introduced in Hyde Park one morning when Elizabeth had been strolling on the arm of the Earl of Matlock. Mr. Darcy had been shut up in his study with his man of business and Mrs. Darcy had been entirely charmed that her new Uncle had fortuitously arrived on her doorstep and announced that she must be taken out and Seen.

He made for amusing company, even if she did think the height of his Lordships heels made it rather difficult to properly walk anywhere. His unchecked dismay at her practical suggestion that top boots may provide him with more comfort amused her so much that she let out a trill of delighted laughter. Two gentlemen, whom the Earl and Mrs. Darcy were just about to wander past, turned with interest at the musical sound.

“My Lord Matlock, good day to you!” Hailed the one, his eyes on the pretty young woman with his old friend.

“Good Morning, Danby. How do you do, and Mr. Brummell, back from Brighton so soon I see, I am enchanted to see you again, sir. May I present my newest niece to you? Mrs. Darcy, I was at school with Lord Danby...some considerable time ago. Mr. Brummell, our renowned arbiter of taste-- Mrs. Darcy.”

Elizabeth curtseyed and the Beau bowed slightly, “I am pleased to meet you, my Lord... and of course you also, Mr. Brummell.”

Beau Brummell was looking at Mrs. Darcy's hat, a simple enough creation that suited her very well. Lydia had sent it to her, lovingly wrapped up in a bandbox with quantities of tissue paper. A slight, curling brim framed her face to perfection and delicate lace roses adorned it. Nothing else was needed, Lydia had written a brief crowing note to her sister that she must love her very dearly to part with such a triumph.

“Madam,” he pronounced, “may I compliment you on your choice of hat. Rarely have I seen such restrained good taste on a such a young head. You are to be congratulated.”

Rather thinking the man must be a coxcomb to be so invested in her bonnet, Elizabeth smiled sweetly and thanked him with amusement dancing in her eyes. “I fear I should be the most wretched sister in England were I to take such a compliment for myself, sir. My youngest sister has a certain talent for clothing, I daresay she will be pleased to receive any reassurance of her gift.”

Mr. Brummell smiled but was clearly disappointed. Elizabeth swallowed a giggle and nodding to the gentlemen said that they ought to continue their walk. As the gentlemen were once more bowing, she looked over her shoulder before they set off.

“I believe my husband has said that you must be included on the guest list of our ball, Lord Danby- I shall be quite delighted to see you there. Mr. Brummell, if you would like to meet my gifted younger sister, you must come also. I shall have an invitation sent to you. Good day!”

The two walked on and Elizabeth felt her husband's Uncle shake with silent laughter and tilted her head inquiringly.

“My dear Mrs. Darcy, I knew that you should be a delightful addition to the family as soon as I laid eyes on you. I do so like to be proved right. I do not think I have ever seen Beau Brummell so casually invited nor so readily dismissed. I should not at all be surprised if you have piqued his curiosity...you will be quite Made my dear!”

Elizabeth shrugged at this and shrugged yet again when she related the events of the walk to her husband.

“ _ Brummell _ , Elizabeth? What can you have been thinking of? It is your ball of course, and you must naturally invite whomsoever you wish but have you a yet unrelated desire to become a grand society matron? I had not realised it, my love. No wonder my Uncle was so amused.”

He greeted the man very courteously when he strolled in on the night of the ball however and assured him of his welcome. Brummell was one of the last to arrive and Mr. Darcy had already excused Georgiana, Catherine, and Lydia from the receiving line.

The ballroom was a blaze of light, the chandeliers shone like diamonds above the glittering Beau Monde. Once the last of the guests had arrived, Mr. Darcy led his wife out to open dancing. Mr. Brummell strolled around the edges of the ballroom, occasionally bowing to those of his acquaintances that he knew and once or twice greeting a young lady desperate for his notice.

He was, in due course introduced to the new Mrs. Darcy's sisters and having bowed to Lydia looked her over and stopped short in appreciation. Lydia had spent much of her time selecting her gown that evening and had done herself no disservice in the effort put forth. She looked every inch a debutante in white damask, a simple strand of pearls clasped about her neck. Her height, of which she was so proud, was shown to advantage by the three-quarter length lavender overdress that had been perfectly matched to the shoe roses peeping out from beneath the lace edge on her dress. Her brother, Mr. Darcy, had made as a supposedly amusing remark about her being a seller of purple which Lydia found to be a lacklustre compliment. She supposed that his lack of charm did not bother Lizzy, however for she had laughed lightly and fluttered her fan at him.

“I gather, Miss Lydia,” said the Beau, clearly deeming her ensemble adequate after peering at her through his quizzing glass, “that you are the sister who sent Mrs. Darcy that exquisite hat.”

Lydia was a little distracted by the beautiful cut of Beau Brummell's coat.

“La! Was it the one with the lace roses? I said it should suit you well, did I not Lizzy? I am so very rarely wrong. Mr. Brummell, I vow that your coat is as near to perfection as I have ever seen.”

Elizabeth was a little scandalised by this forwardness and her eyes widened but the beau was pleased to be amused by this young lady who so clearly Understood good taste. She spoke so earnestly that it was clear to him that she was as much focussed on the cut of his cloth than on his person. He smiled. Beau Brummell had an unusually charming smile which he used to great effect.

Lydia blinked.

“I wonder if you are permitted to dance, Miss Lydia?” He said, gently. “I should very much like to speak with you about those delightful lace roses.”

“No, not here, alas!” She said, wistfully looking at the dancers. The beautiful Mrs. Bingley was leading the set with her husband, attracting nearly as much attention as the unexpected presence of Mr. Brummell. “Mr. Darcy says that I must wait until I am older, though I am permitted to stay until supper.”

“In which case, Miss Lydia, I shall take it upon myself to reserve a dance with you in a year or so when you have your season. I predict,” he added with a knowing smile, “that you will enjoy it immensely.”

The next morning the Darcy's sat with their guests for a belated breakfast. Lydia, still behaving very well, had contrived to arrive in time for Mr. Darcy to seat his tired-looking wife.

“I do hope, Lydia dearest, that you will not do anything foolish.” Said Elizabeth eventually, after her second cup of tea.

“So do I, Lizzy!” Said Lydia irrepressibly, “but what did you have in mind that I should not do?”

“It would not at all be wise to fall in love with Mr. Brummell,” advised her wise sister.

Lydia opened her eyes very wide. “Well no of course not; I want to speak to him about clothes. Love? Why he is quite Old!”

Mr. Darcy set down his coffee cup.

Her voice quivering slightly, Elizabeth paused before answering.

“He is only a year or so ahead of Fitzwilliam, Lydia.”

“Well yes, which just proves it does it not?” said the youngest Miss Bennet, entirely unaware that her brother was rapidly on his way to taking insult. “I do not have any designs on Mr. Brummell, Lizzy. He is quite safe from me.”

“I was rather more concerned that you should be safe from him my dear, but if you say that you are in no danger I am quite content.”

Lydia laughed, “He is a very good judge of what is beautiful you know. If I was not to dance, speaking with him of the dreadful errors of judgement some of your guests made was as entertaining a time as I could have had. We had a jolly game of it between us. We are quite decided that Miss Bingley ought to have left off the second plume on her headdress; for apart from that she acquitted herself quite well.”

Mr. Darcy's lips tightened and Elizabeth intervened.

“How glad I was to have the support of my family at my very first ball! I should not have enjoyed it half so much if at least some of my sisters had not been there. Fitzwilliam, shall you take me to the park after we have finished? I did not go out at all yesterday morning and you are still quite my favourite escort.”

Her husband, quite aware of Elizabeth's intent, permitted the diversion and drily replied that he was relieved that three months of marriage had not yet caused her to tire of him.

“Oh no!” said Mrs. Darcy, sending him an impertinent smile and a then a tender look, “not yet my love, not  _ yet _ .”

 


End file.
